Vegetation and soil responses to short-duration grazing on fescue grasslands
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Authors: J. F. Dormaar, A. Smoliak, W. D. Willms
Date: 1989
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 42
Number: 3
Pages: 252-256
Summary of Methods: Dormaar et al. test the claim that a short-duration grazing system can improve range condition, even under intense stocking rates, by using grazing exclosures in this 5-year Alberta study. In grazed plots, soil moisture and hydraulic conductivity were lower and bulk density was higher than in exclosures, indicating the negative effects of short-duration grazing on soil physical properties. Grazed areas also had lower C and N contents, lower soil polysaccharides of a microbial nature and less litter deposited into the soil than ungrazed areas. This indicates the negative effects of this management on soil chemical properties. After five years, short-duration grazing negatively affected range condition and the physical and chemical characteristics of the soils at this site, suggesting that the claims made about this grazing management technique are not applicable to this study area and may need to be re-evaluated.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: None
Article Type: None
Keywords: forage production, soil physical properties, soil chemical properties, range condition, rough fescue, festuca scabrella
Annotation: A 17-pasture short duration rest rotation grazing system was created on 972 ha. Pastures were grazed for three rotations each year with two rest periods. Pastures were stocked at 2-3x the recommended stocking rate for the range (0.8 AUM/ha).
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